VISA2US Blog

With the most recent Visa Bulletin released and the start of the new federal fiscal year in place, you’re seeing the terms H-1B Visa, EB-2 Green Card transfer, and Visa Bulletin everywhere in immigration headlines. What do these terms refer to, and how are they related? We’ll explain what you need to know here.

For decades, the US has relied upon foreign workers to fill vital positions in the labor market, including both skilled and unskilled jobs. In more recent years, the focus has shifted to ensure critical industries, such as science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), are taken care of through work visas such as the H-1B. This program has been in place since 1990 and is run by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Since its implementation, the H-1B program has significantly impacted the US economy, and we’ll discuss the effects here.

The topic of green cards and the long wait to obtain one has been part of ongoing legislation for years. In certain countries, individuals have waited years and, in some cases, over a decade to receive their green card. As of the Visa Bulletin’s release of October 1, 2023, there are some major changes on the horizon, but do these help or hinder the green card program? Keep reading to find out.

It’s not a surprise that immigration visas are backlogged for many categories in various countries, particularly India’s H-1B visa. But with a wait time of over ten years for thousands of individuals, it’s understandable that their patience is disappearing. Now, presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy is promising to overhaul the H-1B visa program, replacing the outdated system with a more fair process. What is he promising, and how is it being received? We’ll explain here.

If you’ve been following global immigration news, you’ve heard of the merit-based system implemented in countries like Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. Recently, Canada made headlines when they added this system to their government, and now, America may be next in line. This point-based immigration system bypasses the H-1B lottery system that has been called into question as flawed. Instead, foreign nationals are granted entry into the US based on their unique skills through a Tier 1 or Tier 2 category. How will this system change the H-1B visa path? Keep reading to find out.

As the immigration system in the United States continues to undergo scrutiny, it is slowly evolving one category at a time. Most recently, on September 18, 2023, the Department of Homeland Security issued a proposed rule to bring the H-2 Temporary Visa Program up-to-date, strengthening protections for these workers and making other much-needed changes. What does this modernization attempt mean for skilled and unskilled workers? We’ll break down the changes here.

The USCIS policy memo has adjusted the language of several EB1A regulatory criteria, in some cases rendering these criteria more readily applicable to our clients.

Immigration is historically a sensitive topic, and today’s attempts at reform are no different. The latest round of policy reformations include HR2, the Secure the Border Act of 2023. This controversial act has prompted groups like FAIR (Federation for American Immigration Reform) and many other public policy groups to write letters demanding HR2’s attachment to the federal government’s spending agreements after the end of this fiscal year. Will this act finally be passed? Read on to find out more.

Foreign nationals who enter the US via the temporary visa route, like a work or student visa, often decide to stay permanently. They must apply for lawful permanent residency and obtain a green card to do this. Not all visas permit this path, but the H-1B category, also called a dual-intent visa, does, all without needing to leave the country. You just need to file an Adjustment of Status (AOS) and go through the green card process, and we’ll explain how to do that here.

America’s immigration policies are frequently tied to the political situation in the country at any given time. When those in charge of reformation and policies can’t come to an agreement, the resulting impasse may have serious consequences. That’s what we see playing out on the near horizon as the end of the fiscal year approaches. If Congress can’t agree on how to fund the federal government, a partial shutdown could happen, and the impact could be damaging to those awaiting immigration paperwork. We’ll explain what’s going on and what you should be doing to prepare for a potential government shutdown here.